Sixth Sunday after Trinity
Jesus said unto his disciples, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” How can our righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees? The first answer to this question is in the words “scribes” and “Pharisees”.
Scribes were those who knew the Scriptures and God’s Law, but who may not have lived by it. Knowing about something does not automatically mean doing it. Jesus said of the scribes that their words were safer to be followed than their deeds – unfortunately, this means that their deeds were not always consistent with their words and knowledge.
The Pharisees tried to live according to God’s Law, but they did it, not out of love for God, but out of a desire to receive something from God; to earn something, and at the same time to feel better than other people. Unfortunately, this brought with it an arrogant and condescending attitude towards the neighbors, and often legalism and formalism in the implementation of the Law. Good deeds done under compulsion have no moral value – only love makes our deeds truly valuable.
God does not expect us to be His slaves. In Christ, God has freed us from slavery – the slavery of sin, evil and death – and He expects our sincere love in response to His mercy.
Jesus shows us clearly what kind of righteousness is better than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
In short, God cares about the attitude of our heart. It’s not enough if we don’t harm someone – it’s necessary that we don’t even wish them harm. But even that is not enough, because in order to truly act according to God’s will, we have to act like Him, that is to love, being ready to give ourselves in the name of this love.
It is not easy, but it is not impossible either, if we remember what St. Paul says in today’s Epistle: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.“